K2 Gondogoro La and Nanga Parbat trek are renowned for their breathtaking scenery and challenging routes, attracting experienced trekkers from around the world. it’s important to understand that they offer distinct, yet equally awe-inspiring, experiences within the Pakistani Himalayas.
K2 Gondogoro La
This trek takes you deep into the heart of the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It offers stunning views of some of the world’s highest peaks, including K2 (the world’s second-highest mountain), Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrum peaks. A key highlight is crossing the Gondogoro La pass, a high-altitude pass that provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. The trek involves traversing the Baltoro Glacier, a massive river of ice. It is considered a challenging trek due to the high altitude, rugged terrain, and glacier travel.
Nanga Parbat
Focuses on exploring the base regions of Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth-highest mountain, also known as “Killer Mountain.” It offers diverse landscapes, from lush green valleys to rugged mountain terrain. There are various trekking routes around Nanga Parbat, each offering unique perspectives of the mountain. The trek allows for cultural immersion into the local communities that live in the shadows of the giant mountain.
departure from Frankfurt to Islamabad.
Arrival in Islamabad and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon there is a city tour with the large Faisal Mosque and a stroll through the colorful Daman-E-Koh viewpoint, where you can look over the entire city. The Margalla Hills National Park begins directly behind you, the first foothills of the Himalayas. You will also visit the lively Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi. Overnight stay in the hotel
Note: Hotel check-in only from 12 p.m. Some airlines land in Islamabad at night.
Early in the morning you will be transferred to the airport and you will fly to Skardu, the mountaineering center of the Karakoram (approx. 60 minutes). When the weather is clear, you can already see Nanga Parbat (8,125 m), the “mountain of fate of the Germans”, K2, the Karakoram Highway far below, and the Indus River from the airplane window. Once you arrive at Skardu airport, you will be picked up and taken to the hotel. The rest of the day can be used as freetime. Overnight stay in the hotel.
After breakfast you take a walk through the Narrow Bazar of Skardu, visit the historical fortress “Kharpocho Fort” and in the afternoon you take a short hike to the turquoise blue one Satpara Lake. Overnight stay at hotel
You leave Skardu on the asphalt road to the east. You have an adventurous jeep ride (6-7 hours) through wild gorges and over a small pass, further through the Shigar Valley to Askole. At the end of the road in the small village of Askole you set up your first camp (3,020 m). Overnight stay in tent
Your 6-day trekking tour to Concordia Platz begins today (elevation difference approx. 1,600 m). First you walk left along the Baltoro River through the village of Askole, the last settlement on this route. The route initially runs in a very green valley and keeps you a little in suspense. Countless moraines and side glaciers that supply the Baltoro Glacier with ice always require new detours and new decisions. The only thing that is constant is the change between block fields and moraines. Before you reach Camp Jola (3,218 m), you walk past the glacier tongue of the huge Biafo glacier (lunch also takes place here at Camp Korophon) and walk into a left side valley over lots of sand. After a total of around 8 hours including breaks, you will reach the camp with fixed toilets and sinks. The camp is located directly opposite the very impressive Bakhur Das (5,809 m). Walking time approx. 7 hours / overnight stay in tent
Note: Since 2021 there is now also a gravel road to Jola. Lt. According to our local partner, the road may be closed again because the locals are strictly against the road. If the road remains open, we drive to Jola and then have one more day either as a reserve day or one more day, for example at Concordia Camp or Broad Peak Camp (in consultation with the guide).
The tour starts as always early in the morning around 7:30 a.m. First we head out of the valley again. After about 4 hours you reach the lunch point, Camp Bardumal (3,295 m), via sandy ground. Then it’s another 3 hours to the camp in Paju (3,407 m). On the way you have to hop and jump across the meltwater of Paju Peak (6,610 m). In the east, Gasherbrum 4, Trango Tower, Cathedral Peak and Broad Peak dominate. Camp Paju is beautifully nestled in the middle of a small oasis with meadows, birches and poplars. Walking time approx. 7-8 hours / overnight stay in tent
Free day in Paiju, as the porters have always used the day to bake bread as provisions for the coming trekking days. Dancing around the evening campfire to the rhythmic drum sounds of the Baltis is almost like a ritual. Overnight stay in tent
After the early start you will reach the Baltoro Glacier after about 1 hour. Now it goes in constant ups and downs over the Baltoro glacier, which is laden with a lot of rubble, rock and sand, to Khorburtse (3,816 m). On the left you can constantly see the Trango Towers and Cathedral Peak. You now also have a great, clear view of the Uli Biaho Peak (6,417 m). The scenery of the surrounding granite mountains and needles becomes more and more bizarre and you walk along this skyline as if in a trance. Pure walking time: approx. 6-7 hours / overnight stay in tent
Today there is only a comparatively short hike on the program. It goes in two sections over the glacier with “dead ice” (glacier laden with rubble) and otherwise along the edge of the glacier to Camp Urdukas (4,168 m), a beautiful, green campsite, which is like a viewing platform on the right edge of the glacier. This is also the campsite on solid ground, as afterwards you only spend the night directly on the glacier ice. Here you can rest in the afternoon and enjoy the tremendous panorama of the rock towers Paju, Trango Tower, Nameless Tower, Cathedral and Lobsang. Walking time approx. 3-4 hours / overnight stay
in tent
You go back to the central moraine of the glacier. It goes past white icebergs, small streams that shimmer magnificently in the blue ice and gigantic stones that grow like mushrooms out of the landscape on ice plateaus. After about 3.5 hours you will reach the Gore 1 rest area (Bianco Camp) for
lunch. After another 2 hours you will arrive at the day’s destination Gore 2 on the glacier. On the way, if the weather is good, you will have a fantastic view of the entire Gasherbrum massif and the Urdukas peaks, as well as the huge Masherbrum (7,806 m) to your right. The camp is located at 4,319m. Walking time approx. 6 hours / overnight stay in tent
After approx. 5.5 hours including breaks you will reach Concordia Platz (4,575 m), in the center of the Karakoram. Five glacial streams meet here and within a radius of 15 km there are 41 peaks over 6,500 m. Most are still unclimbed and nameless. Fantastic granite towers, ice and rock formations invite you to endlessly marvel. Stand clockwise the K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum 4, Baltoro Kangri, Kondus, Snow Dome, Vigne Peaks, Miter, Paju, Crystal Peak, Marble and Angel Peak. Pure walking time approx. 5 hours / overnight stay in tent
Now we head towards Broad Peak and K2, which you always have in front of you. You hike on the lateral moraine of the Godwin Austen Glacier. Soon, after about 5 hours, you will reach the base camp of Broad Peak. Here you will set up your quarters for the next night at approx. 4,800 m. The snow-capped Chogolisa (Bride Peak), now emerging to the south behind the Vigne Peaks, is your constant companion.
Walking time approx. 4-5 hours / overnight stay in tent
After a leisurely breakfast, you hike for about 1.5 hours to the K2 base camp (approx. 4,980 m) and can watch extreme mountaineers as they prepare. This dangerous and feared mountain is rising violently. An eight-thousander you can touch! You can also take a look at the nearby memorial. Then we return via the Broad Peak base camp to Concordia Platz. Walking time there and back is approx. 7-8 hours /
overnight stay in tent
Note: If you don’t want to go to the base camp of K2, you can also rest in Broad Peak Camp and then
descend to Concordia Platz together with the group.
You leave Concordia Platz early and hike for about 2 hours over endless scree slopes of the Baltoro Glacier. The rest of the path now goes slightly upwards and leads over the Vigne glacier (mostly without scree, so you have to walk on blank ice) and after about 4-5 hours you reach Camp Ali at 4,985 m. In the background you have During the hike there were always phenomenal views of K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrum chain. Walking time approx. 4-5 hours / overnight stay in tent
You leave your camp at around 1:00 a.m. towards the pass. First it goes slowly uphill along the lateral moraine (which can be covered with snow) to the foot of the Gondogoro La Pass. Now comes the key point and it goes steeply upwards, past huge seracs and crevasses. When you arrive at the approximately 5,600 m high pass, you will be rewarded by a magnificent view of K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum 1-4 and Masherbrum. The descent is steep for about 300 m and then continues along the lateral moraine of the Gondogoro Glacier to Camp Khuispan at 4,695 m. This camp is located on lush green meadows and not far from the well-known rock pinnacle Laila Peak. Walking time 8-10 hours /
overnight stay in tent
You have to continue the descent over the scree slopes of the Gondogoro Glacier to Camp Dalsampa (4,170 m), a beautiful campsite on a green meadow with fresh, cold water. Enjoy fantastic views of Masherbrum and the 3 different glacial streams: Gondogoro Glacier, as well as the Masherbrum and Laila Peak glaciers! Walking time approx. 4-5 hours / overnight stay in tent
The descent takes place to Hushe. It’s getting greener and the first trees are appearing. It takes about 3.5 hours to get to the first settlement, Saicho. There you can refresh yourself and drink a cola before continuing downhill for another 3 hours to Hushe – a small settlement in the middle of green fields at 3,200 m. Walking time approx. 6-7 hours / overnight stay in a tent / shower facilities available
Return journey with the jeeps from Hushe to Skardu and return to civilization. After lunch you reach Skardu (2,280 m). Now you have one last time to stroll through the town and buy a souvenir. You are also welcome to simply relax in the hotel. Travel time approx. 5-6 hours by jeep / overnight hotel
Today we travel adventurously by vehicle along the Indus River on the Skardu Road towards the Karakoram Highway. You will have the opportunity to take photos along the way. Once on the highway, stop at the monument to the meeting of the region’s three major mountain ranges: Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalayas. The journey then continues to Raikhot Bridge (approx. 1,300 m) and then up to the small village of Tato (2,200 m). From here we continue on foot. After about 2-3 hours of leisurely hiking, you will reach this wonderful spot of earth at about 3,350 meters. Enjoy the magnificent view from the flower meadow of Nanga Parbat and the huge Raikhot Glacier. Here, German expedition history in particular comes to life again. There are dramatic events surrounding the eight thousandmeter peak that have earned Nanga Parbat the nickname “The German Mountain of Fate”. After a rest, we continue for about 1.5 hours towards the north side of Nanga Parbat and along the Raikhot Glacier to Bayal (3,550 m), another beautiful place with log cabins. Travel time approx. 4 hours / walking time approx. 4 hours / overnight stay in simple log cabins in Bayal
Today you can simply relax in the fantastic scenery and enjoy the panorama or you can go on a trip with your guide to the Nanga Parbat “Memorial” and base camp (approx. 4,000 m and 4-5 h for there and back). From here, Hermann Buhl famously climbed Nanga Parbat for the first time in 1953. Overnight stay in simple log cabins in Bayal / Walking time: approx. 4-5 hours
Today everyone descends together back to the fairytale meadow. We recommend that you organize your return journey so that you climb up the mountain slope to the left of Bayal (up to approx. 4,000 m) and from there you can enjoy another magnificent view of Nanga Parbat. When you arrive at the fairytale meadow, you have the rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight stay in simple log cabins on the Märchenwiese / Walking time: on the normal route approx. 2 hours (over the mountain slope approx. 4 hours).
It’s time to say goodbye to this piece of paradise. You descend again to the village of Tato, where the 4×4 jeeps are already waiting for you and will take you back to the Karakoram Highway. Here you change to the minibus, which then takes you to Besham, where a hot shower is waiting for you. Walking time: approx. 1.5 hours / travel time approx. 8-9 hours / overnight hotel
The last stage of your journey is coming and it goes via the Karakoram Highway and the towns of Battagram, Mansehra and Abbottabad to Islamabad. Travel time approx. 10 hours. The tour slowly comes to an end with the farewell dinner together in the evening. Over 3 weeks of adventure and experiences lie behind you. Overnight stay in hotel
Your flight back to Germany leaves very early in the morning. You will arrive there on the same day with many great new experiences in your luggage.
Please Note:
This unique and exciting trip will take you through the enchanting Himalayan valleys of Kaghan. Although this valley is quite well known and visited by the many tourists, their visits are restricted to the places near the road.
Shimshal is the last remnant of true Hunza culture that exists near Pakistan’s Pamir range, east of the town of Passu in upper Hunza valley.
One of the most adventurous and marvelous scenic trek in Karakoram, offers a breath taking view of the highest mountains and longest glaciers out side the polar region.
